Ironing table



y 1956 c. DAVIS 2,746,184

IRONING TABLE Filed Jan. 21, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 g CIwnZeSDaz/ZLF c. DAVIS IRONING TABLE May 22, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 21, 1952 22 7213 Hfiarneys r mm ng! United States Patent G IRONING TABLE Charles Davis, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Proctor Electric Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 21, 1952, Serial No. 267,333

1 Claim. (Cl. 38-121) The present invention relates to ironing tables and more particularly to an improved latch construction for an adjustable height ironing table. In adjustable ironing tables it has been found advantageous to provide a mechanism which will prevent inadvertent collapse of the table during adjustment between various height positions. Examples of devices of this type are shown in copending applications of Harvey E. Hortman, Jr., Serial No. 155,435, filed April 12, 1950 entitled Ironing Table, and Serial No. 201,623, filed December 13, 1950, entitled Ironing Table. The present invention is shown applied to an ironing table of the type disclosed in the firstmentioned copending application.

It is a prime object of the invention to provide a latch construction that will be simple to operate and require little or no instruction for its use.

it is a further object to provide a device which will be low in cost and simple in construction.

Briefly, this invention envisions the provision of a single manually operable latch member which will have two modes of operationa first mode through which the operator can adjust the height of the table to any one of a number of positions, and a second mode which will permit release of the table for the complete collapse of the legs for storage purposes.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the ironing table;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the front portion of the ironing table top;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged bottom view, partly in section, showing the forward portion of the latch; and

Fig. 6 is an exploded isometric view of the manual latch member and its cooperating rack structure.

As mentioned previously, the invention is shown herein as applied to an adjustable ironing table of the type shown in the Hortman application, Serial No. 155,435, filed April 12, 1950. Only those details that pertain to the present invention, however, need be described herein. Reference may be had to the Hortman application for other constructional features of the ironing table.

The ironing table 1, shown in Fig. 1, comprises a top 2 preferably of metal and an X-frame leg structure comprising a front leg 3 and rear leg 4 pivotally interconnected at 5. The front leg 3 has one end fixedly hinged to the table top at 6, while the rear leg has one end arranged for slidable movement through a pin 7 along the bottom of the table top. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, pin 7 is affixed to the end of leg 4 and is slidably mounted in guides 8 and 9 which are afiixed at their ends to brace members 16 and 11, which are in turn suitably secured to the top structure 2. The leg 4 comprises two elongate tubular members and 4b which are secured to the pin 7, e. g., by welding, while the position of the pin is determined by the position of a rack member 15 which moves with the pin. A latch member 16 cooperates with slots 17 (see Fig. 6) formed in rack member 15 to hold the pin 7 in the desired position. Rack 15 is formed in channel shape and has afiixed thereto a U-shaped bracket 20 which embraces the pin 7 and serves to hold the pin in position along the length of guides 8 and 9. It will be apparent that by moving the pin 7 in guides 8 and 9 the vertical position of the table top will be changed to any convenient height.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be noted that the rack member 15 is slidably mounted in a cooperating channel 21 which is aflixed in a suitable manner to the table top through depending flanges 22. For the most part, rack 15 has its outer surfaces bearing against the adjacent inner surfaces of channel 21. On the surface having the rack openings, however, two lanced portions 23 and 24 are provided to serve as hearing projections thereby aligning said rack in channel 21.

The manual adjusting latch 16 (Fig. 6) has an elongate portion 26 joggled at 27 and is provided with a handle portion 28 which is adjacent the skirt of the table, being disposed in this location for the convenience of the user. The support for latch 16 comprises an opening 9a formed in a web of guide 9 and a U-shaped bracket 21a secured to channel 21. The forward end of latch 16 has a straight leading edge 16a which is adapted to engage a cooperating edge on either the lanced portion 23 or the edge of the rack openings 17 It should be noted that the stop edges of the openings 17 are on one plane, while the stop edge of lanced portion 23 is on a second plane oifset from the first plane. A carnming surface 16b on the forward end permits ratcheting of the rack past the latch when the rack is moved toward the left in Fig. 5 as during raising of the table top. Also on the forward end of the latch is a stop surface which determines the maximum inward displacement of said latch. Along the length of latch 16 is disposed a helical spring 29 which is precompressed between the generally square washer plates 30 and 31. These plates are slotted to permit slidable movement along latch 16 and are limited in movement by pins 32 and 33 which are pressed into the latch 16. Rib 34 of the table top is cut away at 340 (see Figs. 4 and 5) to provide clearance for portion 26 of latch 16 while the rib serves as a stop surface for washer plate 39 when it is desired to effect collapse of the table.

A second spring 35 biases the latch member with spring 29 assembled thereto into engagement with the rack member 15, the maximum displacement being determined by stop surface 16c on latch 16. The tail of spring 35 is fixed to the table top through a rib member at 37, while the movable end is connected to the latch member at 38.

In operation, the user presses manual portion 28 of latch 16 toward the skirt of the ironing table top. Resistance to movement of the latch is provided by spring 35. This force is kept small so that the latch will respond to light finger pressure. A force of approximately 3 lbs. has been ascertained to give easy adjustment for the user. Movement of this type through a range indicated by the dotted position of Fig. 5 will permit the rack to be moved to any one of a plurality of positions. Release of the manual member 23 permits spring 35 to return the latch into a rack-securin position. Thus there is no danger of accidental collapse of the table during normal height adjustment because the light finger pressure does not bring the end of the latch past the lanced portion 23.

If the user desires to collapse the table completely, an additional force must be exerted on manual latch 16 in the direction of the skirt. This efiects compression of spring 29 by the engagement of the washer 30 with rib 34 of the table top and thus provides suflicient deflection to the spring 29 to permit the end of the latch to pass the lanced portion 23. With the latch thus rendered ineffective, the rack can move in channel 21 sutficiently to permit the legs to be completely retracted. It will be apparent that during setting up of the board rack member 15 will be able to slide past latch member 16, pushing the latch automatically toward the skirt to enable the latch to fall into one of the rack openings as may be desired by the user.

In the embodiment shown an additional force of approximately 8 to 10 lbs. must be exerted by the user to permit storage of the table. The necessary change in force is discrete and gives ample warning to the user that light finger pressure is all that is necessary to adjust the height of the table, but a larger force on the latch handle is necessary to store the table.

While only one embodiment of the present invention has been described, the invention contemplates such other embodiments 'of modifications as may occur to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

In an adjustable and collapsible ironing table, a table top, a pair of pivotally interconnected crossed legs providing anadjustable and collapsible support structure for said top, a fixed pivot connection between said top and the upper end of one of said legs, a sliding pivot connection between said top and the upper end of the other leg, latch 4 means for retaining the sliding pivot in different positions to provide different height adjustments of the table, said latch means including a manually operable latch member, a slidable rack member associated with said sliding pivot having a height adjustment surface and a stop surface, a spring for biasing said latch member into engagement with said rack, a second spring carried on said latch member and compressed to a predetermined pressure whereby predetermined manual movement of saidlatch member against the action of said first spring will effect disengagement of said latch member and said height adjustment surface, and a stop on said table engageable by said second spring whereby further movement of said latch member under a substantially higher resisting force. is

' necessary to permit disengagement of said latch member and said stop surface on said rack to thereby enable complete collapse of said table.

References Cited in thefile of this'patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 260,210 King June 27, 1882 431,530 Rock July 1, 1890 1,524,302 Halse Ian. 27, 1925 1,552,560 Heermans Sept. 8, 1925 2,659,990 Voigt et al Nov. 14,1953 

